Bomb threat blamed for police stopping 2 Metra trains

A telephoned bomb threat received by Kenosha police this morning prompted two Metra trains to be stopped and searched en route to downtown Chicago, officials said.

The threat was phoned in by an unknown caller from a pay phone at Kenosha's Metra station, Police Sgt. Gene Heckel said.

Kenosha police forwarded the warning to Metra police, who searched two inbound Union Pacific North Line trains that originated in Kenosha and were bound for the Ogilvie Transportation Center, Metra said.

Nothing was reported found. However, police would not characterize the incident as a prank at this point, Heckel said.

Passengers described Metra police boarding with a canine unit and searching the cars. Passengers were not told any reason for the search.

The first train, UP North train 334 from Kenosha, was stopped about a quarter mile north of Ogilvie at about 10:25 a.m., according to Metra spokeswoman Meg Reile. The train was due to arrive at the station at 10:30 a.m.

The train was allowed to proceed, getting into Ogilvie sometime before 11:30 a.m., and passengers deboarded.

A second UP North train, the 336 due downtown at 11:35 a.m., was stopped at the Clybourn station.

Those passengers were allowed to transfer to an inbound UP Northwest line train, 640, which arrived downtown at about 11:23 a.m.